Severn Can't Catch J. Carroll, Falls, 2-0

Admirals' Hard Play Fails To Put Ball In Goal

By now, Severn first-year coach Rick Lenfest must be dreaming of theday when his boys soccer squad can put together a complete game.

In their season-opening 2-0 loss to St. Mary's on Sept. 11, the Admirals allowed goals within a minute of each other after battling through a scoreless first half.

Two days later against a powerful Archbishop Spalding squad, Severn trailed, 2-0, early before rallying for a 3-2 upset victory.

But the Admirals couldn't duplicate that feat in yesterday's 2-0 setback to visiting John Carroll in a Maryland Scholastic Association A Conference Division I game.

Although the Patriots (3-0 overall, 1-0 in Division I) took a 2-0 first-half lead, the Admirals (1-2, 0-1) dominated the second half with a 9-0 shots-on-goal advantage.

For thegame, Lenfest's club led in two categories -- shots (13-5) and corners (4-2) -- but trailed in the most crucial -- goals.

"We seem to have to get down by two goals before we start playing," said Lenfest,whose club visits Boys' Latin at 3:45 p.m. tomorrow. "We were hopingto come out in the second half, get a couple of quick goals and thensit on our lead. But we couldn't get one in."

The Admirals certainly tried to score.

An eight-yard shot by Jason Moran and a point-blank header by Rex Vogan both hit the crossbar. Another Vogan shot, from six yards out and even with the far post, was angling for the left corner when an alert Eddie Maynard (seven saves) stretched to snagthe ball inches before it counted.

"I thought it was going in, but the goalie pulled off an incredible save," said Vogan, a junior striker who has one goal this year.

John Carroll packed the defensiveend in the closing moments. Knowing his team was fatigued, Patriot coach John Hughes subbed his players frequently down the stretch.

"We were trying our best out there and nothing was going in," Vogan said. "I'm not dissatisfied with the way we played in the second half, just frustrated that we couldn't score."

Despite Lenfest's shouting for "control" and "anticipation," Severn's first-half play was characterized by passes behind teammates and crosses into John Carroll's penalty box that Maynard reached before the Admirals could.

"The only one talking was Coach," said junior midfielder Chris Accinelli, who had a goal and an assist against St. Mary's. "We just need somebody to come out on the field and direct traffic. We lacked motivation."

Thanks mostly to the defensive efforts of Severn's senior sweeperMilford Marchant, freshman keeper Brian Zaks (four saves) rarely wastested in the game -- except, of course, for the two goals.

The first Patriot tally came eight minutes into the game, when John Carroll's Tom Scannel -- standing to the left of Zaks -- tried to cross theball into the box. But his shot bounced off of a nearby defender andinto the goal.

John Carroll's Jim Penski scored the second goal at the 20-minute mark, beating a defender to a bouncing volley and lifting a six-yard shot into the net's upper-right hand corner.

"We put one goal in for them and the second one was a silly goal. It's tough and sad that we had to lose," Lenfest said. "I'm extremely pleasedwith the way these guys played. I just hope that we can come back against Boys' Latin."